THE ICE AGE?....
BY KEVIN SARAVIA AND CHAD SEVERT
WHEN WAS THE LAST ICE AGE?..
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago.
During this period there were several changes between glacier advance and retreat. The maximum extent of glaciation was approximately 22,000 years ago. While the general pattern of global cooling and glacier advance was similar, local differences in the development of glacier advance and retreat makes it difficult to compare the details from continent to continent (see picture of ice core data below for differences).
WHAT CAUSED THE ICE AGE
Climate on Earth has changed on all time scales, including
long before human activity could have played a role. Great progress has been made in understanding the causes and mechanisms
of these climate changes. Changes in Earth’s radiation balance
were the principal driver of past climate changes, but the causes
of such changes are varied. For each case – be it the Ice Ages, the
warmth at the time of the dinosaurs or the fluctuations of the past
millennium – the specific causes must be established individually.
In many cases, this can now be done with good confidence, and
many past climate changes can be reproduced with quantitative
models.
how the earth overall changed?..
The impact of increased surface temperatures is significant in itself. But global warming will have additional, far-reaching effects on the planet. Warming modifies rainfall patterns, amplifies coastal erosion, lengthens the growing season in some regions, melts ice caps and glaciers, and alters the ranges of some infectious diseases. Some of these changes are already occurring